Public Release: 2-Sep-2014 PeerJExceptionally well preserved insect fossils from the Rhône Valley
In Bavaria, the Tithonian Konservat-Lagerstätte of lithographic limestone is well known as a result of numerous discoveries of emblematic fossils from that area (for example, Archaeopteryx). Now, for the first time, researchers have found fossil insects in the French equivalent of these outcrops -- discoveries which include a new species representing the oldest known water treader.

Public Release: 1-Sep-2014Algal growth a blooming problem Space Station to help monitor
The space station's Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) instrument can help research harmful algal blooms, similar to recent concerns in Lake Erie. HICO provides a way for researchers to see 90 wavelengths of light not visible to humans.

Public Release: 31-Aug-2014 Nature GeoscienceAntarctic sea-level rising faster than global rate
A new study of satellite data from the last 19 years reveals that fresh water from melting glaciers has caused the sea-level around the coast of Antarctica to rise by 2 cm more than the global average of 6 cm.

Public Release: 29-Aug-2014NASA animation shows Hurricane Marie winding down
NOAA's GOES-West satellite keeps a continuous eye on the Eastern Pacific and has been covering Hurricane Marie since birth. NASA's GOES Project uses NOAA data and creates animations and did so to show the end of Hurricane Marie.
NASA

Public Release: 29-Aug-2014 Current BiologyReady for mating at the right time
Fish rely on pheromones to trigger social responses and to coordinate reproductive behavior in males and females. Scientists at the Marine Science Center at the University of the Algarve in Faro, Portugal, and at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, have now identified such a signal molecule in the urine of male Mozambique tilapia: this pheromone boosts hormone production and accelerates oocyte maturation in reproductive females.
Foundation for Science and Technology of Portugal, Max Planck Society

Public Release: 29-Aug-2014 GSA BulletinSnails tell of the rise and fall of the Tibetan Plateau
The rise of the Tibetan plateau -- the largest topographic anomaly above sea level on Earth -- is important for both its profound effect on climate and its reflection of continental dynamics. In this study published in GSA Bulletin, Katharine Huntington and colleagues employ a cutting-edge geochemical tool -- 'clumped' isotope thermometry -- using modern and fossil snail shells to investigate the uplift history of the Zhada basin in southwestern Tibet.

Public Release: 29-Aug-2014 The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial EcologyNot all phytoplankton in the ocean need to take their vitamins
Some species of marine phytoplankton, such as the prolific bloomer Emiliania huxleyi, can grow without consuming vitamin B1 (thiamine), researchers have discovered.
National Center for Genome Resources, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Packard Foundation

Public Release: 28-Aug-2014NASA sees a weaker Tropical Storm Marie
When NOAA's GOES-West satellite captured an image of what is now Tropical Storm Marie, weakened from hurricane status on Aug. 28, the strongest thunderstorms were located in the southern quadrant of the storm.
NASA

Public Release: 28-Aug-2014 Ecology LettersStudy finds marine protected areas inadequate for protecting fish and ocean ecology
A new study reports that an expansion of marine protected areas is needed to protect fish species that perform key ecological functions. According to investigators from the Wildlife Conservation Society and other organizations, previous efforts at protecting fish have focused on saving the largest numbers of species, often at the expense of those species that provide key and difficult-to-replace ecological functions.

Public Release: 28-Aug-2014NASA's TRMM analyzes Hurricane Cristobal
NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM Satellite provided a look under the hood of Hurricane Cristobal as it continues moving north and paralleling the US East Coast. NASA's HS3 hurricane mission also investigated the storm. Cristobal is now close enough to the coast to trigger high surf advisories.
NASA

Public Release: 27-Aug-2014 EcologyMore wolf spiders feasting on American toads due to invasive grass, UGA study shows
An invasive grass species frequently found in forests has created a thriving habitat for wolf spiders, who then feed on American toads, a new University of Georgia study has found.
Japanese stiltgrass, which was accidentally introduced to the US in the early 1900s, is one of the most pervasive invasive species. Typically found along roads and in forests, it has been found to impact native plant species, invertebrate populations and soil nutrients.

Public Release: 27-Aug-2014Karina's remnants drawn into Hurricane Marie's spin
Karina finally became a remnant low pressure area after roaming around in the Eastern Pacific for two weeks. Satellite data on Aug. 27 showed that the now shapeless former hurricane was being drawn into nearby Hurricane Marie's circulation.
NASA

Public Release: 27-Aug-2014 GeologyPacific plate shrinking as it cools
The Pacific tectonic plate is not as rigid as scientists believe, according to new calculations by researchers at Rice University and the University of Nevada, Reno.
National Science Foundation

Public Release: 27-Aug-2014 NatureWalking fish reveal how our ancestors evolved onto land
About 400 million years ago a group of fish began exploring land and evolved into tetrapods -- today's amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. But just how these ancient fish used their fishy bodies and fins in a terrestrial environment and what evolutionary processes were at play remain scientific mysteries.

Public Release: 26-Aug-2014BioOne announces 2015 title additions
BioOne welcomes five new journals to BioOne Complete, its online aggregation of independently published, subscribed and open-access titles.